Survey Shows Why Some Adults Don’t Use iNet

As of May 2013, 15% of American adults ages 18 and older do not use the internet or email, according to Pew Reseach.

Asked why they do not use the internet:

One of the strongest patterns in the data on internet use is by age group: 44% of Americans ages 65 and older do not use the internet, and these older Americans make up almost half (49%) of non-internet users overall.

Though they themselves do not go online, these self-described non-internet users often report that the internet touches their lives: 

• 44% of offline adults have asked a friend or family member to look something up or complete a task on the internet for them.
• 23% of offline adults live in a household where someone else uses the internet at home, a proportion that has remained relatively steady for over a decade.
• 14% of offline adults say that they once used to use the internet, but have since stopped for some reason.

Overall, most adults who do not use the internet or email do not express a strong desire to go online in the future: just 8% of offline adults say they would like to start using the internet or email, while 92% say they are not interested.